China MND Vows to Curb Japan’s ‘New Militarism’

China’s Ministry of National Defense issued a sharp warning on 24 September, vowing to “resolutely curb” what it calls Japan’s “new militarism,” accusing Tokyo of accelerating re-militarization and drawing comparisons to the period before Japan’s foreign aggression in the last century. The statement, delivered at a regular press conference by MND spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, marks the latest escalation in defense-related rhetoric between Beijing and Tokyo.

According to Xinhua News, Jiang said the international community “should be highly vigilant” and must work to stop the perceived revival of Japanese militarism from “bringing harm to the world.”

The Trigger: Japan’s Planned Defense Entity

The remarks responded in part to questions about Japan’s plan to establish a new defense-related legal entity in fiscal year 2027. According to the full official transcript published by the China Military Network, the entity would coordinate defense equipment exports, cultivate emerging enterprises, strengthen the industrial production base, and manage nationalized military factories. It would also adopt a U.S.-style model of purchasing equipment from companies and re-exporting it.

Japanese opposition parties have criticized the plan as reminiscent of pre-World War II “arsenals,” drawing attention to the historical parallel China now amplifies. No primary Japanese government document detailing the entity was available, and the details surfaced in Beijing’s transcript through a reporter’s question.

China’s Legal Argument

Jiang grounded China’s objection in post-war international law, citing the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. As China Daily reported, he argued these documents “clearly stipulate that Japan should be completely disarmed and must not maintain industries that could enable it to rearm.”

He described this framework as “an important component of the post-war international order and an important barrier for the international community to prevent the revival of Japanese militarism.”

Accusations of Re-Militarization

China’s core accusation is that Japan’s defense budget has surged continuously, that it is developing offensive capabilities, and that it is massively expanding its military-industrial base under the banner of economic development. Jiang compared these trends to “the signs before Japan launched its foreign aggression,” according to China News Service.

Under Japan’s National Security Strategy revised in 2022, Tokyo committed to roughly 43 trillion yen across fiscal years 2023-2027 and to reaching 2 percent of GDP in defense spending by FY2027. Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has reportedly moved that 2 percent target forward to the current fiscal year and is revising the National Security Strategy and the country’s three key security documents.

The September 18 Anniversary Context

Jiang spoke around the 95th anniversary of the September 18 (Mukden) Incident, which China marks as the start of Japan’s invasion. He noted that Japanese politicians continue to describe the Taiwan Strait as Japan’s so-called “existential crisis situation,” while the United States, Japan, and Australia conducted the Orient Shield 26 exercise across multiple locations in Japan. Japan is also continuing to build missile and ammunition facilities on its southwestern islands.

“To this day, Japan has not reflected on its historical crimes of aggression, but instead repeats the same tricks,” Jiang said, accusing Tokyo of accelerating re-militarization under the guise of an existential threat.

South China Sea Dispute

China also linked the warning to tensions in the South China Sea. Responding to a question about Japan’s embassy in the Philippines criticizing China over an incident near Xianbin Reef, Jiang accused Japan — a non-regional country — of “following the Philippines in calling black white.”

He said Japan is exporting weapons to the Philippines, sending troops to joint exercises there, and, for the first time, firing offensive missiles abroad — actions he said aim to break through the post-war international order.

Analysis: A Deliberate Escalation

The statement represents more than routine diplomatic friction. China’s use of the phrase “new militarism” signals a sustained framing campaign in state media, casting Japan’s defense buildup not as a security posture but as a systematic effort to escape the post-war order. The explicit references to Japanese arms exports to the Philippines tie together two of Beijing’s most sensitive regional disputes — Taiwan and the South China Sea — into a single narrative.

The timing reinforces the message: the statement landed days after the September 18 anniversary and amid the largest Orient Shield exercise since the series began. Notably, all retrieved coverage of the statement came from Chinese state or state-affiliated outlets, meaning the framing reflects Beijing’s perspective without independent or Japanese rebuttal in the record.

What to Watch

Beijing is urging Japan to “explain clearly” its re-militarization steps and to stop what it calls troublemaking on the South China Sea issue. Whether Tokyo responds publicly — and whether Japan’s FY2027 defense entity proceeds as planned — will determine whether this rhetoric hardens into a sustained diplomatic rupture. With both sides revising their security strategies, the coming months will test whether the two neighbors can manage their deepening strategic competition.